The present invention relates generally to alarm systems, and more particularly to an alarm system for use in the home.
The increased concern in recent years of many Americans regarding their safety while in their homes has led to the availability of numerous commercial systems designed to provide an alarm upon the sensing of an intruder, such as a burglar, in the vicinity of the home. In the majority of the known home alarm systems, the presence of an intruder is sensed by a heat or motion sensor. Many of the currently available home alarm systems, in addition to producing an alarm signal, also send a signal to a remote private security station from which a telephone call can be made to the local police station to advise the police of a possible burglary at the residence. The police can then send an officer to the residence to apprehend the burglar before he has had the opportunity to cause any damage to property or person.
In addition to the use of motion or heat sensors, many available alarm systems also include a panic button that is operated by hand when a person within the residence becomes aware of the presence of an intruder. The operation of the panic button typically activates an alarm system both in the residence and at the remote security station. The alarm signal produced by the operation of a panic button is preferably different than that produced by a heat or motion detector sensor so that the security personnel and police can recognize the greater urgency of the panic button signal and the need for them to respond more quickly to a potentially dangerous situation.
One drawback of conventional panic button alarm systems is the location of the panic button in a wall-mounted control unit so that an individual who feels threatened by the presence of an intruder must get up from where he or she is sitting and walk to the location in the house where the control unit is mounted. The additional time required for the individual to walk to and then activate the panic button may be critical in being able to activate an alarm signal before the intruder gains entry into the house. Moreover, if the intruder is able to observe the person in the act of walking to the location of the panic button, he may act more hastily in a manner that may well increase the danger to the person. The conventional panic button home security systems are also relatively complex to operate, particularly by young children, since they typically require the system to be periodically armed and disarmed.